Implementation of Records Management in the Department of Trade and Industry of Pekanbaru City

Abstract

Properly managed records help government agencies retrieve information and provide evidence that activities have been carried out. This article describes records management in the Secretariat of the Department of Trade and Industry of Pekanbaru City, the factors that facilitate or hinder the process, and possible improvements. A descriptive qualitative approach was used, drawing on observation, direct participation during an internship from 29 June to 29 August 2026, and activity documentation. The findings are discussed through four indicators: recording and listing, grouping and classification, arrangement and storage, and inspection. Outgoing letters, assignment letters, decrees, and official minutes were recorded in their respective agenda books, while frequently used records were entered in an active-records register. Inactive records were sorted successively by year, division, document type, classification code, and letter number before being stored and checked. Staff guidance, available documents and agenda books, storage facilities, and an orderly classification pattern supported the work. The main challenges involved accuracy, the time required to sort and arrange records, and adjustment to the workplace at the beginning of the internship. The observation was limited to physical records.